Abel Espino
Mexico City
โI would like it, but it would be hard for American drivers, who arenโt used to our highways. The tolls are expensive, also.โ
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Facundo Monje
โI think itโs bad they wonโt let us in. We can do the same thing they can, so they should let us in. These trucks are imported. Do they seem bad to you? They make four times what we make, so they want to keep the border closed. They only drive eight hours; we drive 24 hours a day, with only about four hours of sleep. The United States is the 100 percent beneficiary of all the cargo we transport. What is the problem with our trucks and drivers?โ
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Franciso Torres
Mexico City
โNafta would give us justice. We donโt want a lot more money. We just want some fairness.โ
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Martin Garcia
โIf the border were open, I would earn more. There would be a lot more inspections. If your truck is new, no problem. But it could be expensive for you if your truck is old.
Thereโs a little racism in the United States. If they find something very tiny thatโs wrong with your truck, and youโre Mexican, they will make a very big deal out of it. But itโs your country, so I have to do what you say. The majority of trucks are good, not dangerous.โ

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Juan Manuel Flores
โItโs true we have no maximum number of hours we can work, but we only get paid 59 cents a kilometer (about 10 cents per mile). It seems we could make more money if the border were open.โ
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Yair Monroyi
โMexican roads are a little dangerous because the trucks are so variable. Some are fast, and some are slow. I transport glass. It would be a good opportunity for me. Iโd like to get to know the United States, but not live there.โ
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Juliojorge Hernandez Zacatecas
โI think it would be a good thing. This is a very peaceful country. Not violent. If you commit a crime, they incarcerate you. If I were to run someone over in the States, they would kill me with a lethal injection. The Federales are much more laid back here. Just give them 20 pesos (about $2), and theyโre gone.โ
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Manuel Cardona Torreon
โThere would be a lot more money for us. They would pay us more to go there.โ
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Danny Fields
Bucklin, Mo.
Warren Transport, Waterloo, Iowa
โWeโve got enough trouble up here with American trucks. Iโm for free trade, but I donโt approve at all of having their rickety, old trucks up here running over our people. If they open the border, theyโll be able to deliver Mexican freight to where I deliver, so Iโll be out of a job, and I donโt dig that. I donโt like them using our highways with their rickety, old trucks.โ
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Michael Cole
Flint, Mich.
โI say pay the Mexicans a decent wage. Iโve heard some scary things about their roads. The only ones that are good are the toll roads. The secondary roads are bad. Why should we have to wait hours at the border?โ
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Rob Coleman
Valparaiso, Fla.
โWhy not have the border open? If the border were open, we would go down and pick up our own stuff, as long as they have to meet the same DOT regulations that we do. We have to conform to their rules; they should go by our standards, too. Turnaboutโs fair play.โ
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Stan Swindell
Silver Springs, Texas Stevens Transport, Dallas
โI think NAFTA sucks. It doesnโt do the American trucker any good at all. Itโs just going to let the Mexican and Canadian truckers in here to take our jobs. Their equipmentโs not up to snuff. They donโt understand U.S. laws and regulations. [DOTโs] willing to overlook a lot of stuff theyโll nail us to the wall for. If we go down there, I guarantee weโd be subject to the same laws.โ
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Vince Davila
(Laredo, Texas)
โIf they let them in, have them get U.S. CDLs, because Mexican drivers canโt drive well. They donโt care. They flip over all the time. Theyโre crazy.โ
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Al Kerr
Listowel, Ontario
Landstar Ranger,
Jacksonville, Fla.
โIt would be a whole lot easier if the border were open. I donโt know. Iโd drive down there. It canโt be any worse than Atlanta or New York. You just gotta have common sense. If the border were open, it would change. Things would progress down in Mexico. The Canadian border is still not open enough.โ
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David Adams
Listowel, Ontario
Landstar Ranger,
Jacksonville, Fla.
โThereโs all that stuff we have to go through at the border. Itโs a lot of time and paperwork. I donโt know if Iโd drive down there, though.โ
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Mike Brady
Duncan, Okla.
โI donโt think it should happen because Mexico is such a poverty-stricken country compared with us. If I go down there and make a wrong move, a minor traffic infraction could put you in jail. It would be real easy for an American driver to get into trouble. Iโve seen these Mexican drivers in Nogales โ theyโve got no respect for laws, the rules of the road. They do what they want at lights.โ
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Kay McConnell
Commercial Shuttle
Service, Albany, Ga.
โIn our town, one plant has closed to do it cheaper down in Mexico. In trucking, too, it will put us out of jobs because theyโll drive for less. If they can get a job making 10 cents more, theyโll take it.โ
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Loring Campbell
Quebec, Canada
โI donโt think their trucks are up to standards. They have to abide by our laws. Their rates are so low. Weโre in a bad enough spot now.โ